What exercises to learn to do the splits?

[chocolatekimmy]

Hi

Are there special exercises to do the splits, some of my daughters friends seem to do it so easily.
Also, are you ever too old to do the splits - I mean, can adults practice enough to get there in the end?

dd1does gymnastics - no special skills (although some children are more flexible I think). When dd started at gym she had to practise her splits every day in front of the TV - it is little and often.

There isn't an exercise invented that could help me do the splits. Surgery maybe. Or a time machine.

Note to MN, if anybody ever seems me doing the splits, it's not through choice, I'm in serious trouble, I've probably had an accident. Don't applaud, call for help.

I personally wouldn't want to put myself through this. It probably helps if you are hypermobile though.

I started going to a gymnastics class about 6 months ago. I still can't do the splits but I'm closer than I was and I expect I'll eventually get there, at least on one side. I'm 37.

We start by getting halfway into a splits position, and bending the front leg to stretch the hip flexor in the back leg. Then straighten the front leg and lean over to stretch the hamstring. Then slide down as far as you can towards a split position. Then swap over to the other side.

Do it every day.

Good luck!

Charlie Dimmock once did a programme where she joined a dance troup and had to do the splits, she'd never done them before and was refusing at the start but she did them for the show at the end.

thanks everyone!

hip openers in yoga would help. pidgeon pose in particular.

hello chocolate
a pile of questions for you before I give you an answer - do you mean learn to do it for your dd or you? if it's your DD then how old is she? And which type of splits - d'you mean box splits (legs out sideways) which is much harder and needs some natural predisposition... or do you mean to do the straight split?

I learned to do the [other one] straight splits (R and L) when I was well into my teens and I have kept the skill and flexibility as I'm a dance and gymnastics/trampoline teacher. There are ways of building up the skill - usually known as conditioning but as you'll probably know it does take a long time to train up to and trying to do it too quickly would be hideously dangerous.

My girls stand against a wall and get the other one to lift their leg up.I don't know if this is what they've been taught at gymnastics or it is their own invention.They have beem doing gym for about ayear and can both do the splits but they are quite young 5 and 7 so probably more flexible.Strangely they both find box splits easier thanfront and back splits.
Also both have bled 'down there' while learning to do splits- but as an adult on mumsnet I am sure that won't apply to you!!!